Hydrothermal Carbonization of Microalgae (Chlorococcum sp.) for Porous Carbons With High Cr(VI) Adsorption Performance.

Porous carbon adsorbents were prepared from microalgae (Chlorococcum sp.) via directly hydrothermal carbonization coupled with KOH or NH3 activation for Cr(VI) adsorption. KOH-activated porous carbons exhibit high Cr(VI) adsorption capacities than those obtained via NH3 modification (370.37 > 95.70 mg/g). The superior Cr(VI) adsorption capacity is due to high surface areas (1784 m2/g) and pore volumes of porous carbon with mesoporous and macroporous structures. The Cr(VI) adsorption result was well fitted to the Langmuir model, showing that the removal of Cr(VI) was attributed to the monolayer adsorption of activity site on carbon surface.

Formic Acid-Induced Controlled-Release Hydrolysis of Microalgae (Scenedesmus) to Lactic Acid over Sn-Beta Catalyst.

Formic acid-induced controlled-release hydrolysis of sugar-rich microalgae (Scenedesmus) over the Sn-Beta catalyst was found to be a highly efficient process for producing lactic acid as a platform chemical. One-pot reaction with a very high lactic acid yield of 83.0 % was realized in a batch reactor using water as the solvent. Under the attack of formic acid, the cell wall of Scenedesmus was disintegrated, and hydrolysis of the starch inside the cell was strengthened in a controlled-release mode, resulting in a stable and relatively low glucose concentration. Subsequently, the Sn-Beta catalyst was employed for the efficient conversion of glucose into lactic acid with stable catalytic performance through isomerization, retro-aldol and de-/rehydration reactions. Thus, the hydrolysis of polysaccharides and the catalytic conversion of the monosaccharide into lactic acid was realized by the combination of an organic Brønsted acid and a heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst.